WEBVTT WE FOUND ONE OF THOSE PEOPLETODAY BEING CITED.HERE IS WHAT HAPPENED.>> SO I NEED YOU TO SIGN. MIKE: THIS DOWNTOWN DRIVER WASISSUED A CITATION TODAY.DMV INVESTIGATORS SAY THEYCAUGHT HIM USING A DISABLEDPLACARD BELONGING TO SOMEONEELSE. >> YOU'RE NOT ADMITTING TOGUILT, JUST THAT YOU WILL SHOWUP ON THE COURT DATE AT THISADDRESS BELOW. MIKE: A DISABLED PLACARD GIVESDRIVERS WITH A LEGITIMATEMEDICAL CONDITION THE RIGHT TOPARK DOWNTOWN FOR FREE. BUT SOME PEOPLE ABUSE THEM.THAT'S WHY YOU'LL SEE THEMOFFERED FOR SALE ON E-BAY. WHIC IS ILLEGAL, BECAUSE THEPLACARDS ARE NOT TRANSFERABLEWHETHER IT'S FROM A GRANDPARENT, OR A CO-WORKER.>> SO AT THE SAME TIME WHEN HESAYS HE'S USING A CO-WORKER'PLACARD AND WHEN WE APPROACHED, HIM ON IT HE DOESN'T HAVE THEABILITY TO ANSWER FOR IT.MIKE: BOTTOM LINE, HE DOESN'THAVE AUTHORIZATION TO USE THATPLACARD?>> EXACTLY RIGHT.AND HE WAS ISSUED A CITATION FORA MISDEMEANOR.MIKE: DMV STINGS LIKE THIS ONEARE DESIGNED TO CRACKDOWN ONDRIVERS WHO USE OTHER PEOPLE'SPLACARDS.>> I DON'T FEEL THAT'S GOOD.THAT WHY I TELL MY KIDS NO YOU-- NO, YOU CANNOT USE MY CARD.DON'T GET IN TROUBLE.YOU'LL GET A TICKET BECAUSETHAT'S NOT WHAT IT'S FOMIKE: THEY ARE MEANT TO FREE UPPARKING SPACES FOR PEOPLE LIKEMARGARET JOHNSON AN ADVOCATE FORDISABILITY RIGHTS.>> I THINK IT'S CRITICAL THATPLACARDS ARE AVAILABLE FORPEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES SO THATTHEY CAN GET OUT THERE ANDPARTICIPATE IN SOCIETY JUST LIKEEVERYONE ELSE.MIKE: PARKING IN DOWNTOWNSACRAMENTO CAN BE A CHALLENGE.>> THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO HASFOUND THAT IT'S ALMOST ANEPIDEMIC PROBLEM.MIKE: A BIG PROBLEM BECAUSE THECITY HAS ONLY 5300 PARKINGSPACES DOWNTOWN, IN A COUNTYWITH 117,000 DISABLED PARKINGPLACARDS.>> WE DO ISSUE ABOUT 91CITATIONS A YEAR, MISDEMEANORCITATIONS IF THEY ARE FOUND TOBE BOGUS, IF THEY ARE USINGSOMEONE ELSE'S PLACARD FOREXAMPLE.MIKE: ALL THE DRIVERS CITEDTODAY HAD THEIR PLACARDSCONFISCATED AND THEY WILL ALGET THEIR OWN DAY IN COURT.DOWNTOWN IN SACRAMENTO KCRA 3, NEWS.GULSTAN: LET'S TALK ABOUT THEFINES.MIKE: THEY ARE NOT CHEAP.ANYWHERE FROM $400-$1000

In downtown Sacramento on Wednesday, a sting operation by the Department of Motor Vehicles netted multiple citations. The target was disabled parking placards used illegally by drivers who don't own them.

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Here's how the operation went down:

THE STING:

Thirteen downtown drivers were caught -- and cited -- for using a disabled parking placard belonging to someone else.

One driver cited claimed he had permission to use his co-worker's placard.

"So, at the time when he says he's using a co-worker's placard and when we approached him on it, he doesn't have the ability to answer for it," DMV Supervising Investigator Tom Edwards said.

The bottom line, Edwards said, is that the driver did not have authorization to use the placard.

WHY PEOPLE USE PLACARDS ILLEGALLY:

A disabled placard gives drivers with a legitimate medical condition and a doctor's note the right to park downtown for free. But ,some people abuse them.

You can find the placards for sale on eBay for less than $10. But, the placards are not transferable, whether they are from a grandparent or a co-worker.

HOW BIG IS THE PROBLEM?

"The city of Sacramento has found that it's almost an epidemic problem," city of Sacramento spokesperson Linda Tucker said.

The city has only 5,300 parking spaces downtown in a county with 117,000 disabled parking placards. In California, more than 2.4 million people have been issued permanent disabled person placards.

"We do issue about 91 citations a year," Tucker said.

ENFORCEMENT CRACKDOWN:

DMV stings are designed to crack down on drivers using other people's placards.

"I don't feel that's good," said Elnora Fretwell, a driver with disabilities. "That's why I tell my kids, 'No, you can't use my card. Don't get in trouble. You'll get a ticket because that's not what it's for.'"

The placards are also meant to free up parking spaces for people like Margaret Johnson, an advocate for disability rights.

"I think it's critical that placards are available for people with disabilities," Johnson said.

She said it's important for people like her to "get out there and participate in society just like everyone else."

HOW MUCH ARE THE FINES?

Citations can cost you anywhere from $400 to $1,000, depending on the city.